Open AccessEstimated Association of Construction Work With Risks of COVID-19 Infection and Hospitalization in Texas
Author(s) -
Remy Pasco,
Spencer J. Fox,
S. Claiborne Johnston,
Michael Pig,
Lauren Ancel Meyers
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
jama network open
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.278
H-Index - 39
ISSN - 2574-3805
DOI - 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.26373
Subject(s) - social distance , workforce , pandemic , psychological intervention , medicine , covid-19 , transmission (telecommunications) , environmental health , metropolitan area , population , relative risk , demography , disease , computer science , infectious disease (medical specialty) , nursing , confidence interval , economics , sociology , economic growth , telecommunications , pathology
Key Points Question Is construction work associated with increased community transmission of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and disproportionate morbidity among construction workers in US cities? Findings This decision analytical model of COVID-19 found that resuming construction work during shelter-in-place orders was associated with increased hospitalization risks in the construction workforce and increase transmission in the surrounding community. Based on COVID-19 hospitalization data through August 20, 2020, construction workers had a nearly 5-fold increased risk of hospitalization in central Texas compared with other occupational categories. Meaning The findings of this study suggest that enacting workplace safety policies and providing paid sick leave could protect essential workers in high-contact industries and prevent further widening of disparities in COVID-19 morbidity and mortality.
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